Female Empowerment And The Inner Circle

March 8, 2020 is International Women’s Day. This day is aimed at helping women gain equal participation in global development, and eliminating discrimination against women. Marches promoting equality take place around the world. Women are encouraged to attend and wear purple, symbolizing dignity and justice. This day reminds us that female bonds foster success.

Bringing Success Through Changing Tradition

Traditionally, women were taught to be competitive with one another, especially in the workplace, as there were and are so few jobs available to us at the top. The belief was: do whatever it takes to succeed, even if it means sabotaging the competition.

It seems we women are now learning the power of the combined voice. A recent poll from Berlin Cameron and Ellevate Network showed that 79% of women report supporting other women, an astounding increase from previous years. A woman alone does indeed have power, but women with power working collectively make more of an impact. 

Research from Harvard Business Review has found that though both men and women benefit from a network, women in particular need support from other women to become successful. The study found that women benefit from close female contacts they consider to be part of their inner circle. Though their male counterparts still need to network, their success is not increased by the use of an inner circle.

You may be wondering why ladies need to help each other more than the fellas do? The truth is that overcoming the struggles of unconscious bias is a systemic hurdle that women can only learn to jump from other women. A study from The National Academy of Sciences confirms this conclusion. They learned that women who have a tight-knit female circle gained answers to questions, such as  how to navigate work culture or hostility towards gender and diversity. Men don’t necessarily need to learn the cultural work environment of a work setting because Western society does not utilize social factors when evaluating males for success. Even more illuminating, when these women had a female-dominated core-circle, they had a job placement 2.5 times higher than women whose circle was male-dominated.

Therefore, reversing the original stereotype that women shouldn’t support each other is key to achieving success. 

Characteristics of a Female Inner Circle

Having a female inner circle is essential to your success as a woman. Without the assistance from my circle, I would not have started my private practice. I received advice, support, and courage from these empowering women.

So what exactly does an inner circle look like, aside from being all women? Well, the characteristics of an inner circle are rather unique. The relationships are intense, diverse, and allow an individual access to broader networks. They aren’t peers from a book-club, and they meet far more often than Sunday tea.

Think instead, #SquadGoals: relationships built on intentionality, purpose, and drive. They will attend male-dominated events with you to provide support and create a strong presence. These women will be your go-to when you need honest advice or a key business introduction. They are partnerships with a natural give and take.

Developing The Inner Circle

So, you may be wondering how you develop your own network of women to help you become a leader? Meeting other women leaders is hard enough, but they must also be diverse and dynamic relationships. Sounds difficult, but hopefully these tips will help:

• Find a mentor: Find a mentor that you admire, and in whose footsteps you can follow. Look around your own job: who are the successful women? Are they open to meeting with you and discussing your career goals? If not, are there women in your field that you can connect with and emulate? Some women seek out mentors from LinkedIn, Facebook Groups, or other networking groups. Just remember to choose environments that encourage support, empowerment, and connectivity. Once you have found your mentor, make plans to discuss your goals, dreams, and wishes. If they give you advice, then follow through. Don’t just listen, do.

• Move past your industry: A common error women make when building their inner circle is attempting to only network within their industries. Creating a diverse group means connecting with diverse industries. This increases referrals, provides unique perspectives around growth, and helps normalize the common struggles women face in different fields. You will also find doors opening that, had you not made these different relationships, you wouldn’t have thought to even look for. The more connections you make with women leaders of all types, the more you will learn from their success.

• Reframe what networking looks like: Just because the word has “work” in it, doesn’t mean it is work. You must foster relationships that go beyond the superficial. Put yourself in environments where you will have shared experiences and interests with the women around you. This increases your chances of developing meaningful relationships. Focus on learning the goals and interests of the women you meet, because people gravitate toward people they know and like.

• Foster the relationships you make: Traditional networking means shaking hands and gathering business cards. For women, this gets them nowhere. We must prioritize developing relationships around trust in order to build an inner circle. Make time in your schedule to connect with the individuals you want in your inner circle. Attend their functions, communicate with them regularly, and highlight their successes. In the end, you must treat the women you want in your inner circle the same way you want them to treat you.

The energy of women helping women is at an all-time high. We’ve realized that lifting each other up doesn’t mean we have to put ourselves down. When women collaborate to channel their power, great things happen for everyone.

What do celebrates think of women supporting other women?

The Real Daytime talk about the importance of women lifting women up.

 To help continue the theme of supporting women, check out the Top 50 women in the tech field! #MoreWomenInSTEM

Do you have a strong inner circle? Are you trying to develop one? Let me know in the comments below!

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